Salvation or Destruction
by Autredmonde
Summary: During a political affair regarding the civil war in Kirigakure, the actions of two legendary ninja will lead to salvation or destruction. A child prophesized by the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **During a political affair regarding the civil war in Kirigakure, the actions of two legendary ninja will lead to salvation or destruction. A child prophesized by the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku.

* * *

"Hokage-dono" bowed the one-eyed Kirigakure shinobi. His eye patch covered the famed Byakugan and his blue hair spiked up in a moused-up manner. He was one of the firsts to successfully transplant a doujutsu, and had the ability to activate it at will, unlike a transplanted Sharingan. "Terumi-sama requests Konoha's aid in the upcoming civil war, against the current Mizukage, Yagura," he continued, praying that he would receive the desired outcome.

Namikaze Minato pondered on the thought; their forces had been significantly lowered due to the war they had partaken in. He had heard about the cruel, malicious ways of the current Mizukage – whom had demanded the deaths of innocent bloodline users. He thought about his dear Kushina, who had been condemned to a life of hatred because of the beast that resided within her, many opposed her because of the condition she had no word in.

"Send Terumi-san my regards" he started, glaring into the shamed eye(s?) of the Kirigakure shinobi, "and tell her I'd be most honoured to hold a meeting to further discuss this situation," Minato smiled, teasing Ao.

"Arigato, Hokage-dono" replied the shinobi uneasily, bowing before the legendary shinobi.

The blue haired shinobi then rushed out of the Hokage tower, pleased that the affair was over. He had never been too interested in politics, nor the deathly stare of an angry Kage.

**Kirigakure**

"T-Terumi-san, d-do you believe the Yondaime will accept?" he asked. He ran his hand through his tufty blue hair. He grinned shyly, revealing his sharp, pointy teeth. The ninja wore black-rimmed glasses, a blue pin-striped shirt and camouflage pattern pants. On his back lay Hiramekarei – one of the Seven Legendary Swords.

Her emerald-green eyes gleamed, and a smile that matched Chojuro's crept across her face, "I hope so... I heard he was quite the lady charmer" she winked, earning a blush from her subordinate.

It was no secret that he greatly admired the auburn-haired woman. Mei was a young, slender woman whose beauty and pure heart could not be denied.

She noticed his stuttering and walked over to the shinobi, pressing her breasts into his back as she hugged him. "There, there, Chojuro-kun, don't be shy now," she said softly.

Chojuro gulped, and cursed the woman and her flirtatious ways. Though she may not have any romantic interests in him, it did not hinder her ability to embarrass.

She pulled away upon hearing a loud cough. She smirked when she turned to see the former ANBU member, Ao. "I see you have returned. Do you bring beneficial news?" she said.

"Indeed, Namikaze Minato proposed there be a meeting," he replied, as he passed the scroll to the powerful Kunoichi.

"Excellent. I suppose I will appoint both of you as my bodyguards," she said, running her thin hand across the bangs that covered her right eye.

**Konoha**

"Kushina-chan, I will be away for a little while, for political reasons," he said seriously, stroking his beloved wife's cheek.

Uzumaki Kushina had fiery, red hair, fair skin and violet eyes. The woman pouted as a child would, "Aww, Minato-kun, pleaase stay," she replied, smiling innocent.

He raised his other hand, pushing her vibrant hair behind her ears, before leaning in and passionately pressing his lips against hers. Her lips were soft, and his dear wife soon replied the passion. She pushed him against the wall, and pulled his blonde hair towards hers. She wrapped her leg around his, pushing him closer. Their lips departed, and he took in the sweet scent of her hair as they stood there, noses touching. At that moment he was convinced to stay, spending his precious time with his beautiful wife, but it wasn't an option now that he had agreed.

"I have to," he said solemnly, placing his hands on her thighs and pulling her in.

Kushina nodded before standing on her toes and placing a kiss on his forehead. She then placed another on his nose, and then pressed her lips against his again. She squealed as she was roughly picked up, and slammed onto the table. She wrapped her lean, pale legs around his, and pulled him in.

He laughed as he pulled away, "let's not get distracted now," he whispered in her ear, before slowly walking away. He had still yet to inform the Sandaime of these updates, and politely 'request' that he be gifted with the wonders of paperwork during his departure.

**Hokage tower**

"What brings you to my headquarters, Minato-kun," spoke the Sandaime gruffly, placing his perverted book down.

Minato glanced shamefully down at the smut the Sandaime had just 'disposed' of. "Ah, well, I need a favour, Sarutobi-sama," replied the Yellow Flash, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Is that so? What have I said about using formalities, Hiruzen is just fine," he sighed, listening intently to the request of the current Hokage.

"_Sarutobi-sama_, I'd like you to be the temporary Hokage while I deal with some political affairs in Kirigakure," said the Namikaze, bowing down politely.

Hiruzen grunted in defeat, and lit his cigarette, "Ah, wish to grant me the wonders of paperwork, Minato-kun," replied Hiruzen, sarcastically, before widening his eyes in realisation, "Kirigakure? Don't tell me you wish to help them and their civil war?" groaned the old Kage, silently cursing his successor's kind ways.

"Hai, Sandaime-sama. I believe it is unjust and inhumane of them to commit these cruel acts, I wish to see to it that they be exterminated and rightfully punished for their crimes," said Minato, "though I could always ask, say, Jiraiya," grinned the Kage, pressuring Hiruzen.

Hiruzen sighed again, knowing of probable outcome of placing Jiraiya in such position. He wouldn't be surprised if the entire village was turned into a hot spring. "I accept," he said, picking up the hidden, orange book again.

Minato smiled, inwardly praising himself for the successful manipulation. All that was left was to find some suitable bodyguards.

It was obvious that a famed, legendary shinobi would make an appropriate bodyguard; the strength of a village must always be displayed. He had pondered on bringing the two heads of the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans, but immediately withdrew that suggested due to the current rivalry between them. Another would be Tsunade of the Sannin, though the chances of her accepting were minimal, due to the traumatic experiences she had been through.

"Keiko Ichirō" he spoke, glancing at the man whose complex was dark. He had deep, chocolate eyes that matched the colour of his hair. He wore a black Yukata, with a crème trim. Under his Yukata was a dark, mesh shirt. His outfit was completed with the standard, shinobi sandals.

"Minato!" he replied, ecstatically, "u-uh, I-I mean Hokage-sama" he said, bowing as he blushed.

Minato only laughed, "There's no need for the formalities, especially for a friend of mine," he replied, handing him a scroll.

Ichirō's eyes widened as he read the contents of the scroll, "y-you want me, of all people, to guard you? Are you out of your mind?!" he questioned, honoured yet confused.

"Indeed, you are an elite Jōnin, also one who I can trust," he smiled, before further explaining the details of the mission.

"Who else do you plan to take?" he asked, staring into the azure eyes that belonged to his former teammate.

"Why Yasu Aiko, former member of Team Jiraiya," he replied, earning a widened look from Ichirō.

**With Yasu Aiko**

Before Minato stood a young, fair woman. She wore her headband under her black bangs, and her obsidian eyes looked similar of that to Ichirō, as she received the mission brief from her former crush. Her outfit consisted of a purple garment, and baggy, red pants that stopped at her ankles. Like most shinobi, she wore the standard ninja sandals.

Back in the academy days, like most kunoichi, she had been obsessed with the handsome boy, and squealed in delight when they were placed in the same team.

_Flashback no jutsu_

_The sun shone through the fading clouds that filled the sky. The morning dew covered the lush grass, making it appear as if it had lightly snowed. One young academy student rushed to class, filled with euphoria as she thought of the upcoming team placements._

_'I hope I get placed with Minato-kun' she thought, sighing as her head filled with romantic love scenes._

_She was so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't realised her giggles were not internal, and one dark-skinned man was listening to her rambling. _

_'Ohayo, Aiko-chan' he said cheerfully, running up to the young kunoichi. _

_'Hn, Ichir_ō-_teme' she replied, causing several Uchiha to sneeze. It was known to all that the dead-last had a major crush on her. Sadly, her intentions were saved for her beloved Namikaze. 'True love will prevail' were her thoughts._

_'So, Aiko-chan, who do you think you will be placed with?' he asked, genuinely curious._

_'Baka, I __**know**__ I will be placed with Minato-kun' she replied, wandering off into her own world once again._

_He sighed as he was defeated once again. He had nothing against that boy, Minato, he was quiet and appeared to be fairly nice, though only seemed to be concerned with Kushina, much to Minato's fan girl's disappointment. _

_He walked into the classroom, before looking behind and watching Aiko approach slowly, suddenly, he was pushed from behind, and fell onto the ground, groaning as he noticed his ripped clothes._

_Kushina noticed the cruelty towards the boy, and helped him pick himself off the ground. Being a constant victim of bullying, she had some sympathy for the boy._

_He was shocked to see the 'tomato-head' kunoichi helping him. He was always teased and deemed useless for being the unintelligent 'dead-last' who had no hopes of succeeding. _

_"A-Arigato, Kushina-ch.. san," he said, bowing before the kind girl._

_She laughed and playfully punched him in the arm, "loser, you can call me Kushina-chan," _

_From afar, Minato watched with curiosity, his crush was interacting with the dead-last, something he had never expected. He walked over to the small group, gaining the stares of his peers._

_"Ohayo, Kushina-chan, Ichir_ō-san," _he said, smiling as he waved._

_"Baka, did I give you permission to use 'chan'?' she replied, angrily pushing him away. He scratched his head as he pondered on the thought, being the rookie of the class, few dared to act in such manner._

_"Gomen, Kushina-san," he said solemnly, before returning to his seat._

_The sensei walked into the classroom, holding a clipboard with the team placements._

_'Hello newly instated shinobi of Konohagakure. I congratulate you all for successfully completing the exams, and proving your worth. We hope each of you bloom into strong ninja, carrying the will of fire as you rise and become the victor. Today is the day your innocence is lost, and is replaced with maturity and strategic methods. May the fire burn brightly in your hearts,' He said, gaining the smiles of the excited ninja._

_'…Team 7 will consist of Yasu Aiko, Keiko Ichir_ō _and Namikaze Minato' he spoke, before being interrupted._

_A squeal from Aiko was heard and a grunt from Ichir_ō.

_Flashback no jutsu, kai!_

She laughed as she remembered their foolish ways and innocence. Of course, she had fallen 'out of love' with Minato, and found her own loving husband.

"I accept" she said.

**The next day**

The next day, the trio consisting of Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage and Konoha's Yellow flash, known for his incredible speed and teleportation jutsu, Keiko Ichirō, the Kuro Ken or 'Black fist', known for his incredible strength and wild taijutsu, and Yasu Aiko, Katsuro no Konoha, known for her stealth and assassination skills, stood at the wooden, sturdy gate, with scrolls consisting of things from food to weapons.

Unknowingly to the Kirigakure shinobi, Ao, a seal had been placed on him, allowing Minato to instantly teleport with a mere 'yellow flash' to where he would assume the desired destination would be. He grabbed his famed kunai, and clung onto his teammates, before flashing to Kirigakure.

**Kirigakure**

Mei Terumi was waiting impatiently in her temporary office. Her two trusted followers, Chōjurō and Ao stood behind her.

She was suddenly greeted with a yellow flash, and 3 legendary shinobi appeared before her. The Yellow Flash, Kuro ken and Katsuro no Konoha. She was stunned at how he could convince 2 **retired**, incredibly strong ninja to accompany him to Kirigakure.

Mei bowed immediately, "Hokage-dono, Kuro-san, Katsuro-san" she spoke, directing her attention to the Hokage.

His blonde hair shone, even in the dimmed lighting. He had azure, eyes that seemed to radiate happiness. 'Perfect' she thought as she admired his lean body.

"Terumi-san, you can call me Minato. And these two are Ichirō-san and Aiko-san," he said, grinning as his sparkling white teeth were revealed.

Minato admired her beauty; she had auburn hair, similar to that of Kushina. She had a slim, curvy figure. He would have considered her as a romantic candidate if he weren't in a relationship with his beloved wife.

"And you may call me Mei," she smiled back, unable to stop staring into his deep, meaningful eyes.

"Mei-san, I understand you are in need of military forces, which is why I am offering the service of myself, and my bodyguards," said the legendary shinobi.

Mei's eyes widened, the Kage himself was offering to cripple their forces? A pleasurable man indeed. "I-I appreciate t-the offer, arigato," she spoke, stuttering as she seemed to forget the English language.

Chōjurō glared at the man, as none before had succeeded in causing her to stutter. Though he too was shocked and impressed at the humble man.

"How many of them are there?" he asked, curiously eyeing the kenjutsu user.

"I'd say a few thousand Chunin, and around one thousand Jōnin," she replied, slouching onto the table, pushing her breasts against her arms. 'You like what you see, Hokage-_sama_' she thought to herself.

Minato attempted to ignore the distraction, but only succeeded in blushing, "and how many on the rebellious side?" he asked, trying to keep his confidence.

'Seems I have made the man blush, how adorable.' She thought, before shaking off her flirtatious thoughts, "I'd say we have more Jōnin, but a lot less Chunin" she replied, winking at the man.

"Hm, I say we attempt to catch them off-guard, and cripple their forces," he said, attempting to strategize while ignoring the distractions, "how about we continue this tomorrow? I'm exhausted," he sighed, rubbing his head.

He walked out of the room, followed by Ichirō and Aiko.

The auburn haired woman laughed seductively once he had left, 'time to put my good looks to work' she thought, before standing up. "Ao, Chōjurō, I need you to find out the estimate number of our force," she said, swinging her hips as she walked out of the room.

She walked around the camp, before finding a confused Minato.

"I have sent my shinobi to go find out the estimate number of your forces, I hope you don't mind' he said, placing his cold, pale hands in his pockets, "I suppose I underestimated the weather of Kirigakure" he blushed, attempting to stay warm.

Mei grinned, and placed his hands on her own slender ones. She sent chakra to her hands, before infusing a minimal amount of fire element to it, warming Minato's. Though she would burnt his if she directly applied the chakra, she was immune to the ferocious heat of fire – having her bloodline based on lava.

Minato smiled as his hands quickly grew warm, he hardly noticed the disclosing distance between them, until she hugged him, with her chakra enforced body. He was tempted to escape the position, but feared the cold that lay beyond her warmth.

A few minutes had past, and he struggled out, before lying on the damp grass, exhausted from his journey.

"Someone tired, eh?" she asked, picking up the grown man and carrying him into a tent. She placed him on a bed, leaving him to peacefully sleep.

**The next day**

"Yasu Aiko, reporting for duty," she bowed, in the presence of her kage.

"Keiki Ichirō, reporting for duty," he bowed, following the movements of his teammate.

"Did you discover the estimate numbers of our forces?" asked the kage, seated in the chair.

"Hai. They have approximately 2500 Jōnin and 500 Chunin" replied, Ichirō, "we may have better quality shinobi, but I'm afraid we lack the numbers."

"Ah, but do they have three legendary shinobi on their side?" he asked, flicking his blonde hair out of his eyes.

"Ahem, that's at least 4, not three. Unless you do not consider me a legendary shinobi, that is, Minato-kun" replied a woman as she walked in. She went directly to the blonde shinobi, and placed herself on his lap.

"T-Terumi-san, may you please remove yourself from my seat?" he politely asked, "and I suppose I was unaware of your reputation,"

Mei silently cursed her luck, and seated herself in the chair next to him, "ah, it is said I can rival the current Mizukage, so yes, I somewhat have a reputation" she replied.

"I have formed a plan. We will wait until tonight, and send our best stealth and assassination Jōnin in as an attempt to cripple their forces," said Minato, before being interrupted.

"And how do you propose we get **in**?" she interrupted, curiously eyeing the apparent genius.

"We only need one to enter, I am known for my teleportation jutsu after all," he replied, earning a face palm from the rebel leader.

"I suppose you are correct, Minato-kun."

After the plan was formed, they departed the building, leaving their trusted shinobi to do as they pleased.

Mei and Minato sat beside each other in the long grass, discussing as a pair of friends would.

"So, Minato-kun, tell me about yourself?" asked Mei, stroking his cheek, wanting to know more about the handsome genius.

"Uh, let's see. I'm an orphan and 23 years of age. I like training, ramen and gardening. Aiko-chan and Ichirō-kun were my teammates, back when we were Genin," he replied, laying down and resting his head on her slim legs, "Jiraiya was like a father to me, but as his spy network grew, he became more occupied, that and the smut he writes," he laughed.

She continued to stroke his cheek, brushing his silky hair with her fingers. She was surprised when his arm was raised to affectionately stroke hers. She lowered her head and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, causing him to blush.

"Mei-chan, what do you think makes a shinobi strong? What's the difference between the strength of me, or say, Yagura?" he asked.

She pondered on the thought, before replying, "Some could say raw strength is all there is to it, but I suppose not just anyone can gain that strength. What makes our strength is our will, and how we go about life. If someone has reason to be strong, they will eventually gain it," she replied, stroking his cheek again, "Now, strength in battle is a different story. When we need to protect something, or someone, that is when we become truly strong. You have people to protect, unlike Yagura, whose intentions I cannot relate to," she continued.

He nodded at her answer, "An intelligent answer indeed. Do you have anyone you wish to protect?" he questioned, sitting up.

"Well, of course. My family died long ago, like you, I am an orphan. I grew to live solely for my friends and those I loved, that is why I must defeat Yagura, so I can protect my village and friends," she replied.

Minato pushed her down, staring into her gentle, emerald eyes, "You remind me of myself. I suffered from loneliness and pain, and at some point, my life seemed worthless, like I was just nothing floating around like a ghost would. My friends saved me, and for that I will save them. I wanted to save every villager that was instated into the village, and every living thing that could breathe. My dream was to become the Hokage."

They both breathed heavily, before slowly moving their heads closer, until their noses were almost touching. He placed a soft kiss on her smooth, luscious lips, before pulling away again. The beautiful woman rolled so she was on top, and roughly pressed her lips onto his, placing her tongue in his mouth and massaging his. He grabbed her waist, bringing it down until it was against his. She continued to roughly kiss him, pressing her body down.

She pulled away, panting; "how about we take this elsewhere?" she winked seductively.

He picked up her slim body, bridal style, and threw his kunai over to a nearby tent; he ripped the door open and threw her muscular body onto the bed. He approached her, and knelt over her sweaty body.

She lay there; slowly unzipping her garments, and was soon greeted with the familiar tongue that belonged to Minato. He pressed his lips into hers again, pushing her body down as she attempted to rip his clothes off.

** A few hours later**

They lay there panting, under the thin sheets that covered their bare bodies. She faced away from the loving man, wrapped in his arms. Minato had his head placed on her shoulder; both were drifting off into a deep sleep.

They were awoken by a sudden commotion a few hours later. It was countless shinobi, searching the tents for their temporary commander. They quickly rushed out, after redressing themselves.

Ao stared curiously at the blushing pair and the bird's nest that in reality was hair, "I will assume the both of you forgot about our little plan. While I am glad that you found a man, we have things to do, places to be," he spoke sternly, pushing Minato to the group of stealthy Jōnin.

Minato placed a seal on one of the shinobi, before wishing him luck and sending him on a possible death sentence. He turned to face the auburn haired woman, "do you believe this will work?" he asked, questioning his intelligence.

"I know so. Our goal is to get in, cripple their forces and get out. Shouldn't be too hard for a man of your calibre, hm?" she replied, assuring the man of his strength.

"Hai," he replied, noticing the glowing seal of his hand, "I guess it's my time to shine, ja ne" he said, placing a short kiss on her forehead.

Though she wasn't too keen on letting him go, she knew it was vital for their victory.

**Kirigakure (inside)**

Minato suddenly appeared beside the shinobi in a flash, accompanied by only the best steal and assassination experts, "You all know what to do. Get to it," he spoke quietly, before going his separate way.

He quietly crept through the heavily guarded town, with his chakra hidden almost entirely. He flashed his way through the houses, massacring shinobi by the hundreds. Once he had decided he was disgusted enough with the blood on his hands, he returned to the camp, falling into the arms of Mei, letting his shameful tears fall from his face.

"M-Minato-kun?" she said, concerned for his wellbeing.

"I-I m-massacred the-m-m. T-they c-couldn't e-even do an-nything," he whimpered, revealing his pain filled eyes to Mei, before bursting out into laughter, "I'm a grown man, yet I disgust and sadden myself at the sight of blood on my own hands. They say it's them or me, but sometimes I wonder if we'd all be better off with me as dead," he continued, lying against Mei's chest.

"Minato" she whispered, wiping the tears from his reddened eyes, she grabbed his cold, shaking hands, "no one's perfect. Our acts are also both good and evil. You may be praised for killing those shinobi back there, but they might curse you, and hate you. It's the cycle of hatred, everything we do seems to cause this pain. Regretting our decisions won't bring back the dead. You're considered a fair and just man, yet you slaughtered them for slaughtering us. I think the better question is, when someone hits you, do you hit them back?" she replied, allowing her long auburn hair to fall onto Minato's face.

"But we have to stop this. To entirely stop the slaughtering, we have to slaughter more. I won't let this war continue, I don't care if it costs me my life, I will not stand by and watch the innocent die," she continued, smiling softly and she stroked his face. She placed her lips on his, but Minato pulled away.

"What will happen" he asked, noting the confused look, "what will happen when I leave?" he said solemnly, gulping as he struggled to speak, "Right now, I want this moment to last forever. I don't want to think about what the future holds for us, but.. but I have to."

"I don't know Minato. We could move on with our lives, and forget each other. You could leave and come back, If that's what you want," she spoke softly, stroking his golden hair.

Minato turned to face her, and pulled Mei towards him, pushing his body against hers.

"Y-You could come back with me, we could live together happily," he pleaded, uneasily smiling.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. If we come out as the victor, I will be the Mizukage. I can't just let these people run around like headless chickens" she replied with guilt, as she watched his reaction.

"I understand" he said, standing up, "we will forget about each other, I will not come back when this is done" he smiled.

"Minato.." she spoke, grabbing his shoulder, "I-I love you." He turned around and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Goodbye," he spoke.

He continued to walk, his eyes widening as he took in each of her words, _'I love you'_ he thought, repeating the three words in his head. He didn't turn back, and continued to walk down the mossy cobblestone road, ignoring Mei's screams.

The rebels did come out as the victors, with the majority of their forces depleted, it was not long before the remainder were killed and Yagura was defeated.

The Yondaime Hokage and his subordinates returned to Konohagakure, with a particular one promising him to forget, even if it was deemed impossible.

Mei watched as the man she loved walked out of her life. She wouldn't forget him even if he would forget her. She would remember the last words she spoke to him, even if he didn't say them back.

A few weeks later and it seemed she had become sick. There was constant vomiting and sharp headaches. Strangely, no medic seemed to be able to cure this unknown sickness.

Weeks turned into months, and it soon became blatantly obvious that it was no sickness.

Minato attempted to feel love for his wife, but couldn't help but feel guilt upon seeing her.

On October the 10th, the Kyuubi was ripped from Kushina, and controlled to destroy Konoha. As a last resort, Minato summoned the Shinigami, sealing half of the spirit within him, and half back into his wife, Kushina. With the chakra, she was successfully able to survive with the rapid healing it granted her, despite the excessive blood loss she had suffered from.

On the same night, a small bundle of joy was brought into the world. The child had deep, azure eyes and golden hair that gleamed even in the dimmed room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A few months later**

The Sandaime Hokage sat at his desk, rubbing his throbbing head as he dealt with the nauseating paperwork. 'I wish there was an easier way' he thought, silently sighing to himself.

The wooden door creaked open to reveal a young woman with the robes of a kage, while her face wasn't visible, her auburn hair sat on her muscular shoulders.

"Sandaime-dono" she said, bowing before the renowned 'God of Shinobi', "I am here to see Yondaime-dono."

The Sandaime's wrinkles deepened at the thought of his successor, "He's dead," replied the old kage, indifferently. He noticed the saddened look in her emerald eyes, and immediately regretted the cruel tone directed at the young woman.

The Mizukage held up the 2 year old baby that rested in her arms, "this is Naruto," she said, gesturing at the blonde baby. She had found the name in Minato's sensei's book, and immediately taken a liking to it.

The Sandaime took in his features, and noted the similarity to that of his dead successor. He raised a brow, before asking, "And who exactly is the boy?"

"Terumi Naruto," she replied, "the son of the Godaime Mizukage and the Yondaime Hokage," she continued, uneasily.

The Sandaime scratched his beard, 'troublesome women' he thought to himself. "And what brings the two of you here on this fine day?" he questioned, glaring at the woman.

"I wish for him to be instated as a Konohagakure shinobi. Originally I wanted Minato to look after the boy, but I suppose that isn't possible now."

"You want to abandon your own child?" he spoke, inwardly regretting the death of Namikaze Minato. He was the one to now deal with his foolish mistakes.

"Hai, he is the Jiinchuriki of Sanbi, I'd rather let him live a peaceful life than one filled with pain and misery," she replied, allowing algid tears to plunge from her jade eyes, "I have scrolls containing heirlooms and a range of jutsu."

The Sandaime scanned the mourning woman, knowing how attached mothers can become to their children, having been a father. "I accept," he finally said, "he will be sent to the orphanage, and when he comes of age, he will be enrolled in the academy."

Mei nodded, and situated her son in the lanky arms that belonged to the Sandaime, "please, take care of him," she added, before quietly leaving the Hokage's tower.

'Minato, you foolish man,' thought the man behind the desk that was said to be created by Hashirama.

He left shortly after the Godaime Mizukage, and went directly to the orphanage; he could only hope the citizens wouldn't recognise his familiarity to their deceased Hokage, even with the face structure he shared with his mother. For now, he would keep both heritages secluded.

Yakushi Nonō squealed in delight upon sight of the heavenly bundle. She stroked his sleek hair and idolized his cerulean eyes that seemed to glisten.

She walked to the room accommodating the younger adolescents, and placed him in the timber cot. The small boy nuzzled the vivid, orange quilt, and soon fell into a soundless sleep.

** Time skip – 4 years**

A young boy almost 5 years of age wandered around the deafening streets of Konohagakure, running from the enraged victims of his latest prank.

Many of the citizens were sceptical of Naruto. He held uncanny resemblance to their beloved Yondaime, and had made an appearance only months after the invasion of the Kyuubi. The boy was perceptive and shrewd, like a fox, one might say. Foxes were known for their prodigious shape shifting proficiency after all.

Naruto became bewildered when they looked at him as if he were an incorporeal being; he was mere orphan, and had no memory of those deemed his parents.

He had asked his esteemed 'Jiji' many times before, but had only been informed they both perished on the night of the Kyuubi attack.

Naruto could not negate his solitude; many children looked at him with indifference, for no apparent reason. He overheard many quarrels in which he had been referred to as a malicious spawn, but heeded no concern to it.

He regularly wished he had a family that shared the same love as the ones he saw.

Despite his bounteous attempts to disprove their theories, he remained as an outcast, doomed to live a pitiful life.

He remembered meeting a crimson-haired woman, who unlike most glared at him with remorse and anguish. Perhaps his parents had been ghastly offenders, who had distressed the young matron.

Unknowingly to his guardian, Nonō, whom he greatly treasured, he had found the scrolls dedicated to him, from an anonymous source. They contained many jutsu, all of which he was unable to use, due to the fact he didn't know **how **'chakra' was used.

He kept them hidden; thinking perhaps someone once cherished him.

His jiji informed him he would be introduced to the academy at the age of 5, somewhat earlier than most.

He continued to scamper from the disheartening civilians, though they had no hopes of surpassing his superior speed.

He eventually arrived at the orphanage, and plummeted into the arms of Nonō, who glared uneasily at the child.

"Naruto-kun, what have you done now?" she questioned, noticed the resentful yells in the distance.

The blonde boy sheepishly rubbed his head, "nothing, dattebayo!" he replied, quickly slamming the door closed, "nothing to see here!"

The boy was overly fiery, and often provided the woman with curiosity regarding his irrational stamina. She smirked at the cheerful boy, and started tickling the small child.

**10****th**** October**

The sun shone through the clouded window, scorching the azure eyes that belonged to a blonde child. Said child awoke startled, remembering the date.

"NONŌ!" he howled, stirring the rest of the sleeping children.

"Naruto, shut up!" said a boy, slightly older than the blonde boy. He wore black rimmed circular glasses and had ash-grey hair. His outfit consisted of a greyish green shirt and black, denim shorts.

"Kabuutoo," he pouted, "it's my biiirttthdaay!"

The older boy sighed, and stuffed his face into his pillow, attempting to override the troublesome sound that was Naruto.

Nonō rushed into the room, upon hearing the wails, but was relieved to find a pouting Naruto. She pulled him into a hug, before whispering into his ear, "happy birthday, Naruto-kun."

He beamed at the gesture, and promptly bowed, as he had seen others do, "Nonō-sama, I ask for one gift."

"Yes, Naruto-kun" she said, ruffling the child's hair, "we may go eat at Ichiraku's," she added, with a smile.

**A few hours later (hokage's tower)**

"Sandaime-jiji," spoke a small boy, glancing up at the powerful man before him.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" replied the man, looking up from his orange book.

"You said I may enter the academy, after I turn 5," he replied, pleading.

"Ah, keen are we? I suppose I could make the arrangements. I believe there is a class tomorrow; I will see to it that you participate."

**The next day**

A Chunin walked in, holding a clipboard with a list of names. He was given the task of watching over the heir's class, an honoured position indeed, most heirs begun their curriculum earlier than general civilians, it made the task of educating them slightly more complex, but entertaining nonetheless. There were members of every major clan, including the Hyuuga, Uchiha, Inuzuka, Aburame, Yamanaka and Haruno.

He scanned through the names, ticking each off as the children responded, before coming to an unfamiliar one.

"U-Uh, N-Naruto? Do we have a Naruto?" he questioned, confused as to why the unknown student had no surname, this was an heirs class after all.

The Hokage abruptly walked in, holding the minuscule hand of a child. "Ah, Iruka-san, this is a new student, Naruto."

Umino Iruka wore the standard Chunin vest; he had brown hair kept in a ponytail, and dark eyes. A scar ran across the bridge of his nose. He peered down at the child, before faintly whispering to the esteemed Hokage, "I recall this being an heir's only class, why is he here?"

"That is for me to know, and for you to find out," winked the Sandaime, walking out and leaving Naruto to fend for himself.

"Well, Naruto, how about you introduce yourself?" asked Iruka, cheerfully smiling.

"My name's Naruto, I'm 5 years of age and I'm going to be the greatest shinobi ever, dattebayo!" he replied, punching the air with his bare fist.

The class whispered amongst themselves, asking questions mostly along the lines of, "why is a non-heir here?"

Naruto occupied a seat next to a brooding, Uchiha, who only 'hn-ed' when greeted with his presence.

"Students, settle down. Today we will be learning how to efficiently throw kunai and shuriken," he said, earning silence from the class.

They hastily rushed outside, eager to learn some 'awesome' ninja skills. They lined up, and were handed blunted, metal weapons.

Naruto felt the weighted, cool metal in his hand. He watched as the Uchiha that he had been seated next to flung the shuriken and kunai at the target, effectively hitting the circular board with each of them.

Though it was no bullseye, the female population stared with adoration at the famed, last Uchiha.

Naruto uneasily walked up to the temporary line, preparing himself as he held the kunai with his shaking hand. He flicked his hand back, then forth, aiming at said target. The kunai whizzed through the air, sinking into the robust tree several metres behind.

The class burst into laughter, ignoring the far-fetched strength behind the inaccurate throw.

He picked up his second kunai, lowering his hand- attempting the change the course of the kunai. He repeated the same steps, he flicked his hand and once again the kunai went whizzing through the air, smashing into the verge of the target.

A hint of red blessed his face, as the class smirked and whispered. He picked up the last one and heaved it towards the target, letting his irritation consume him.

The power behind the throw ravaged the centre of the target, ultimately destroying it with a mere blunted kunai.

Iruka stared in astonishment; strength of that level without chakra enforcement was unheard of, unless you were one Senju Tsunade.

The class ignored the last attempt, and continued to thrust their weapons towards a different target.

After the short lesson, they learnt the concept behind chakra, and the mythology behind the strange source. They learnt the fascinating tales of Otsutsuki Hagoromo, better known as the Sage of Six paths, and how chakra came to be.

Afterwards, they were taught a basic chakra control technique, one designed to introduce the application of chakra to the academy students. They were required to stick leaves to their foreheads using only a thin layer of chakra, a task deemed impossible for those with abnormal chakra reserves; Sasuke and Naruto.

Both had no complications locating and applying the chakra, but the problem more lay within having it stay without blowing away.

Iruka explained to them that they would have to practice more than the general class, due to their higher reserves.

When Naruto returned from the academy, he spent endless hours attempting to perfect the technique, but was abruptly interrupted when Nonō informed him he would never perfect it, no matter how long he tried.

She instead showed him a more complex chakra control technique, one generally not taught to academy students due to their minimal reserves. She applied chakra to her feet, and placed them on a tree, effectively sticking to it as glue would.

Naruto stared in fascination, "I'll get this down in no time, dattebayo!" he yelled, using his trademark quote.

He sent chakra to his feet, before charging at an oak tree, as soon as he placed the first; he was launched back, landing in the fallen leaves.

Nonō laughed at the pathetic attempt, "you must learn this with a clear mind, Naruto. Anger will only cause you to lose control."

He nodded at his guardian, before slowly walking up to the partially destroyed tree, and gently placing his feet on the flaking bark. He took a single step, then another, and two more. He cheered at his success, but only to fall back down.

He pouted, but continued to try no matter how impossible the circumstances.

Dawn came, and stars filled the midnight sky with gleaming light. Naruto lay among the dry leaves, panting as he felt the wind breeze along his exhausted body.

He felt himself being lifted up, and did nothing to stop the foreign person. He merely lay there, drifting off to sleep.

Morning came quickly for the boy, and he wondered if he could begin to learn the jutsu on the scrolls, now that he understood how to use chakra.

He pulled the paper from its secure, hidden place, and read the title of the first scroll, 'Lava Release' he read, flipping the pages, 'an advanced nature keki ge-what? That combines fire and earth-based chakra to create lava' he started, his eyes gleaming as his thought of the possibilities. He looked at the first jutsu that read 'Haibushin technique – creates a clone out of volcanic powders. The clones require significantly less chakra to make in comparison to shadow clones, but interact like them.'

"Coool, I'm going to master these, dattebayo!" he yelled, memorising the hand seals.

"Haibushin no Jutsu!" he yelled, creating 2 deformed pieces of lava. He sheepishly rubbed his head and continued to practice.

After a few hours, he could make clones that represented himself instead of a blob of molten.

He went to high five his clone, but missed and slapped it in the face instead, causing it to melt into a heated substance, before dispersing completely.

'Ouch' he thought, rubbing himself in the place where he was hit.

After checking the time, and realising he was late for his classes, he rushed to the academy, ignoring the yells from Nonō. Once he arrived at the academy, he regretted ignoring his guardian, as the place was empty and lifeless. He silently groaned to himself, before departing.

"Nonō-saan.." he whined, peering up at the woman.

"Naruto-kun, you only have classes on weekdays" she replied, ruffling the pouting child's hair.

He deserted the woman and left for his treasured scrolls, reading the various jutsu on the scrolls, until he came across another that interested him, 'Yōton: Haigiri no Jutsu: creates a cloud of poisonous ash that can be used to heavily cut opponents within the ash.' Once again, he memorized the Tiger, Rat and Boar seals, before testing the jutsu.

"Yōton: Haigiri no Jutsu!" he yelled, spluttering out black dust from his mouth. He was still able to control the ash, but the outcome didn't seem like the desired jutsu, so he dispersed it.

After a while, he was able to create a slightly larger cloud of black ash, that didn't match the description of the jutsu. He sighed before placing the jutsu away; the cloud could still serve as a diversion.

A few weeks had passed and he was declared the dead-last of the class, due to his inefficiency in basic jutsu. His accuracy had slightly improved, but was still a laughing matter.

He was surprised to see the Sandaime visiting him one night at the orphanage; he was wearing his formal kage robes, as he usually did when in public.

"Naruto-kun," he spoke, his voice hoarse and slow, "it is time you receive your own apartment, and permanently depart the orphanage."

Naruto gulped, he noticed his friend, Kabuto, leave a few years ago, and had wondered where he had been since. He had known Nonō adopted the boy. "Hai, Hokage-sama," he replied, not daring to look at the eyes of his surrogate grandfather.

The bearded man flung a pair of silver keys at Naruto, "apartment 3 is yours," he spoke, clutching the child's shoulder as he turned to walk away.

Naruto felt slightly distressed, but didn't allow tears to flow from his eyes. Instead, he hesitantly turned to Nonō, "heh, I suppose this is goodbye. Ja ne," he waved, strutting to his room.

He gathered his few items, and provided Nonō with a hug, before leaving for his new home.

Little did he know the upcoming events.


End file.
